ICYMI

Carefully crafted social media posts and other online propaganda are fighting to make people around the world take sides

https://counter.social/@ecksmc/112351612681379638

I'm not saying everything they see on social media is fake, misinformation, disinformation I'm saying maybe if people understand where and how that stuff gets prepared, and ultimately tested, before being pushed out, they might not fall for it and just might think twice before taking a side

And now they have chatbots to help them spread the misinformation/disinformation/fake news they see

https://counter.social/@ecksmc/112642523535062293

Lies always spread faster than truth and chatbots will became a source for people to then copy and paste results, that are misleading, false, dishonest into social media posts and make it look genuine

Only lies have details

– Sherlock Holmes

Most people don't really want the truth as long as they are seen to be with the majority they are fine with that - they claim to have open minds, but really don't, they are easy manipulated, but claim they can't be, they are dishonest to themselves

And now 👇 😛

And sadly a lot on CoSo has fallen into that category of being mislead and spreading fake things around - most of them have already blocked me - as well as talking points that are clear propaganda they have become useful idiots - and while most have me blocked a few remain that I can see who keep spreading the same falsehoods, almost posting then daily, and things that have been debunked they don't care about truth

Sad but true it has been one reason I've been a little more quieter

If groups of people block others they don't agree with that group will be surrounded by "yes men" their social media experience will be nothing more than an echo-chamber

Loadsa things I see I don't agree with but one thing I don't want is to block them just for that, which I think I lot on here have been doing, I also think some are telling others to block others that's just a hunch - cliques get cliquey after all

Anyhooooo 'skol" me needs caffeine

@ecksmc

“If it’s in the internet it must be real.”

Almost nothing dissuades the ignorant.

@LnzyHou ikr when I started to use the internet we had a mentality of "if its on the internet its 100% questionable if not false/fake" 😆 and has ultimately remained my mentality

These days its > believe everything and question little < as long as I'm in with the biggest crowd my posts will reach more when using certain hashtags > people just jump on any bandwagon that's passing with no regard of what's actually happening

@ecksmc

The overall solution is way above my pay grade.

My only recourse was to deactivate from every SM platform that proliferated lies, rage, falsehoods, attacks, racism, fascism etc.

If I hadn’t found CoSo, I would be gone entirely.

I’m baffled ANYONE continues to support these sites.

But, but, but my friends
But, but, but my job
But, but, but my news sources
But, but, but my addiction to chaos

Wake up folks!

@LnzyHou one thing is to stop being so rapped up in things we know little to nothing about and start educating ourselves more and reading things that will take us outside our comfort zone and accept what we knew was wrong

People need to learn that just because a platform, media outlets, is right/left leaning it doesn't mean everything on the platform, media outlets, is false/wrong, or misinformation, while understanding it just might well be < open mind and never full commit 😉 research also

@ecksmc

Much to my horror, my son sometimes watches Fox. He maintains it’s important to understand their “thinking” so you can beat them at their own game.

This is the same guy who read the Bible cover to cover like a novel. It took him two years.

When a Christian cherry-picks a verse, he asks key questions about the entire story. Of course, they NEVER know the context.

He’s now reading the Quran like a novel.

I learn so much from this kid.

@LnzyHou i applaud your son for doing they things - not sure about beat at own game though

I watch, read, a lot of stuff from people, outlets, I don't agree with, I totally get where your son is coming from, to understand we have to consume others points and views - it really is what true democracy is about reaching a middle ground after all - its not just for mocking purposes

I also read the Bible so I could challenge a "priest" at a residential School - I got banned from the chapel lol

@ecksmc

My son lives in red territory. He has to encounter the bullshit at work. Waits until it gets too deep and confronts.

He is a moderate Dem & repeatedly tells me my progressive beliefs are polarizing. Of course he’s “right” (and correct).

But left I stay.

@ecksmc I think I know one specific issue you refer to, and yeah, those rabid ones are oddly silent and without any correction or apology now, aren't they. . .

@ecksmc

I think block is over-used, partly because it results in the sort of balkanization you speak of.

But also it is a very visible rejection that is hard to step back from. I reserve it for those who I'm just done with.

Mute though is such a gentle discreet way of avoiding them when they are ranting, and I love how I can leave notifications open just in case they decide to actually engage.

@ceorl users can block others to their heart content I personally couldn't care who blocks me

That said it becomes questionable when I started to notice a vast majority of users have blocked me, when I see conversions and the thread stops when scrolling up to see initial posts or comments in the thread and tap on a users profile I can see I'm blocked by initial poster or user commenting in thread, that makes me wonder especially when some I didn't even know existed 😆 mute is better though lol

@ecksmc

Well as you can tell from my frequent likes, I enjoy what you post and find lots of it useful and informative.

You just sounded a little discouraged, and I wanted to encourage :)

@ceorl 😁 thanks & 😊 thanks :) ❤️

Oh I'll be here till the last order bell tolls and even then I'll be asking for a "lock in' 😂😂 no fear of me leaving on a whim 😉

@ecksmc Blocking groups you don't want in your social stream is no different from choosing a market, neighborhood, school, or synagogue. It doesn't mean you don't have news sources from the better parts of the Internet.

@Lizzz because your news sources aren't bias right?..... Just other news sources that are

Better parts of the internet is laughable in this time and age but go on thinking you are superior to others

@ecksmc The "better parts of the Internet" are where the primary sources live. Have you ever heard of primary sources? Social media might occasionally point to them, but most social media is shit-posting and posturing. Superiority has nothing to do with this. Knowing the difference between fact and opinion, and using logic is available to almost all of us, superior or marginal. As for "bias," have you once even questioned israel's genocidal destruction of Gaza?

@Lizzz for one there is no genocidal destruction but you get that from the bias media you read

where is the outrage for what's happening in Sudan ?

In just over a year, estimates putting the death toll as high as 150,000

https://counter.social/@ecksmc/112574966897143158

spreading the genocide narrative while ignoring all the other conflicts in the world that are far worse says it all about media outlets

Selective about who is worthy of your support says a lot about a person also

Every media outlet has a bias side

@ecksmc The source of disinformation is the israeli government that uses the feeble attempts at revenge by hamas to commit genocide against the Palestinian people in order to steal their oceanfront land for financial gain. Just ask the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, & the 144 (75%) nations of the UN that recognize Palestine as a sovereign state. But go ahead. Blame Tiktok instead of the israeli herodites who enjoy watching the blood of Palestinian babies run in the streets.

@Lizzz okay then *sigh*